Democratic Republic of the Congo / 2023 / 6mins / Animation, Historical Drama / French

An animated film that captures a moment in the true-life story of Ota Benga (1883–1916), the pygmy who was exhibited at the Bronx Zoo. Desperate to return home to the rainforest in Congo but trapped in Lynchburg, Virginia, Ota Benga reflects on being bought by so-called "civilized society" and being treated like an animal. A passionate call by the fire to return to his ancestors.

Chadrack Banikina

Chadrack Banikina was born in 1994 in Kinshasa, DRC. After secondary school, he started his career as a 3D graphic designer and Graphic designer in various advertising agencies. He holds a Master in visual communications from the Academie des Beaux Arts in Kinshasa. During his studies he worked as a 3D character animator in the short film Les aventures de Mukeba (2016) and as assistant director in Noah de Coco (2017), experiences that formed and developed his passion for animation. Ota Benga is Chadrack’s directorial debut. Learn More